Coming Clean

Just after midnight, 26 years ago today, the Exxon Valdez supertanker ran aground on Bligh Reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound. At least 11 million gallons of crude spilled into the sound. The immediate casualties included more than 2,800 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 22 orcas, and perhaps a...

The United States is at the tail end of negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) -- a massive trade deal with Mexico, Canada, Japan, Vietnam, and seven other countries. The negotiations have been conducted in secret. Now Congress will soon decide whether to grant the Obama administration...

Surprising nobody, President Obama has quietly followed through on his promise to veto the bill from Congress that would have authorized construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. It's only the third veto of his presidency, and it means the way is now clear for the president to make a final decision...

Long ago, the expression "carrying coal to Newcastle" meant to do something utterly pointless, because the city of Newcastle-on-Tyne had a monopoly on British coal exports. But soon, though, carrying coal to anywhere in the United Kingdom will be pointless.On February 14, the leaders of all three...

More proof that good things are worth waiting for. About a year and a half ago, my family and I hiked in Colorado's Browns Canyon, along with some military veterans, Sierra Club volunteers, and local rafting owners. At the time, local people had been trying for two decades to get permanent...

Earlier this month, almost every Republican in the U.S. Senate went on record that "climate change is real and not a hoax." All but a handful, however, balked at agreeing that humans are contributing to that change. The "not a scientist" club has a new line in the sand: "Climate change? Sure,...

When you're working toward a big goal, progress isn't always smooth. If you're lucky, though, the breakthroughs outpace the setbacks, even if it's sometimes a close call. For Alaskan wilderness protection, this week produced a breakthrough that's been a long time coming. President Obama will...

Welcome to 2015, a year when scientists have documented the hottest global temperatures since record keeping began, analysts have recorded the most solar industry jobs since record keeping began, and Congress has begun its assault on clean air, clean water, and clean energy -- perhaps the most...

In New York State, at least, sanity has prevailed. By banning fracking, Governor Andrew Cuomo has acted to protect his state's citizens from a rapacious industry whose presence would inevitably result in significant health and environmental consequences.
It's hard to overstate how important this...